William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans : biography

William Amelius Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans PC (15 April 1840 – 10 May 1898), styled Earl of Burford until 1849, was a British Liberal politician. He served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard under William Gladstone between 1868 and 1874.

Background

St Albans was the only son of William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans, and Elizabeth Catherine, daughter of Major-General Joseph Gubbins.

Family

St Albans was twice married. He married, firstly, Lady Sybil Mary Grey (28 November 1848 – 7 September 1871, London), daughter of Lieutenant-General the Honourable Charles Grey and granddaughter of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, on 20 June 1867 in London. They had three children:

• Lady Louise de Vere Beauclerk (12 April 1869 – 15 December 1958), married Gerald Loder, 1st Baron Wakehurst and had issue.
• Charles Victor Albert Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 11th Duke of St Albans (1870–1934)
• Lady Sybil Evelyn de Vere Beauclerk (21 August 1871 – 20 September 1910), married Major William Lascelles, great-grandson of Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood and had issue.

After the early death of his first wife, he married, secondly, Grace Bernal-Osborne (d. 18 November 1926, London), on 3 January 1874 in County Tipperary. She was the granddaughter of London Sephardic Jewish Shakespearian actor turned parliamentarian Ralph Bernal. Her father Ralph Bernal Jr., later Ralph Bernal Osborne, was Secretary of the Admiralty and a parliamentarian. Grace’s mother was an Osborne, an Anglo-Irish landed family. They had five children:

• Osborne de Vere Beauclerk, 12th Duke of St Albans (1874–1964)
• Lady Moyra de Vere Beauclerk (20 January 1876 – 7 February 1942), married Lord Richard Cavendish, grandson of William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire and had issue.
• Lady Katherine de Vere Beauclerk (25 May 1877 – 1 February 1958), married, firstly, Henry Somerset, grandson of Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort and secondly, Major-General Sir William Lambton, son of George Lambton, 2nd Earl of Durham.
• Lady Alexandra de Vere Beauclerk (5 July 1878 – 16 April 1935), died unmarried.
• Lord William Huddlestone de Vere Beauclerk (16 August 1883 – 25 December 1954), died unmarried.

The Duke of St Albans died in May 1898, aged 58, and was succeeded in the dukedom by his only son from his first marriage, Charles.

Political career

St Albans succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1849, aged nine. He later took his seat on the Liberal in the House of Lords and served as Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard from 1868 to 1874 in William Ewart Gladstone’s first administration. In 1869 he was sworn of the Privy Council. He never returned to political office but served as Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire between 1880 and 1898.